SHILLONG: A 50-year-old woman from East Jaintia Hills was allegedly raped by a 30-year-old man, who was known to her, on December 1 when she was returning from Sonapur.
The Civil Society Women’s Organisation (CSWO) alleged that police failed to take action against the accused even after a complaint was lodged.
In a press statement, the CSWO narrated the ordeal of the woman on the fateful day when she was returning from work.
On December 1, she was waiting for a passenger Sumo when around 7pm the accused, Joshua Rymbai of Umkiang appeared. He offered to drop the woman, whom he calls aunty, to her home in his vehicle, said the CSWO statement.
“She was not worried as she knew this Joshua Rymbai and he was much younger than her and regarded her as aunty. The person who was driving the car was from Sonapur. When they reached near the area where there was a temple, he covered her face with a cloth and raped her inside the car and threatened her. Even the driver told her to keep quiet or he too would rape her,” the statement said and added that Joshua told her to not disclose the incident or else he would rape her daughter whom he knew.
On December 3, the woman filed an FIR with Umkiang Police but the police failed to act on the FIR. They made no attempt to arrest the culprits and they did not take her for medical examination as is required as per law and police told her that she would be sent for medical test only on Monday as there was no proper place for examination nearby, the CSWO alleged.
Criticising the police personnel, the CSWO alleged that it is the practice in most police stations or outposts in Meghalaya.
CSWO condemned the incident and demanded immediate arrest of the perpetrator and the driver. At the same time, it demanded that the government to set up proper PHCs with doctors in rural areas so that such cases are not left unattended.
